,,ib ,union ,calendar ,no4 #bjd #aagth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #efhi ,report ,no4 #aag-bgg ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,october #bb1 #bjba,mr4 ,de,fazio 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,graves of ,missouri1 ,ms4 ,titus1 and ,mr4 ,webster of ,florida7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure ,march #bd1 #bjbb;,additional sponsors3 ,ms4 ,norton and ,ms4 ,houlahan ,march #bd1 #bjbb,reported with an amendment1 committed to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of the ,union1 and ordered to be printed,strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic,for text of introduced bill1 see copy of bill as introduced on ,october #bb1 #bjba ,a ,,bill ,to improve the provision of ,federal resources to help build capacity and fund risk-reducing1 cost-effective mitigation projects for eligible ,state1 local1 ,tribal1 and territorial governments and certain private nonprofit organizations1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,resilient ,assistance for ,mitigation for ,environmentally ,resilient ,infrastructure and ,construction by ,americans ,act or the ,resilient ,,america ,act4 #b4 ,unspent funds 7a7 ,redistribution of unclaimed amounts ,section #djd of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj;c7 is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating subsections 7f7 and 7g7 as subsections 7g7 and 7h71 respectively2 and 7#b7 by inserting after subsection 7e7 the following3 7f7 ,redistribution of unclaimed or unobligated amounts ,the ,president may-- 7#a7 withdraw any portion of financial assistance made available to a ,state or ,indian tribal government under subsection 7a7 for which the ,state or ,indian tribal government has failed to submit an application upon the expiration of the application submission time limit or that remains unobligated for a major disaster or event eligible for assistance pursuant to section #dbj upon the expiration of #hd months or the closeout of the grant1 whichever is sooner2 and 7#b7 transfer the financial assistance withdrawn under paragraph 7#a7 to any other amounts otherwise available to be awarded under section #bjc4 4 7b7 ,applicability ,the amendment made by subsection 7a7 shall apply to any major disaster declared by the ,president under the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act on or after ,november #bc1 #aihh4 #c4 ,predisaster hazard mitigation ,section #bjc7;i7 of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eacc7 is amended by striking #f percent and inserting #ae percent4 #d4 ,nonprofit facilities ,section #bjc of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eacc7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7b7 by striking and local governments and inserting 1 local governments1 and private nonprofit facilities2 7#b7 in subsection 7c7 by striking or local government in each place it appears and inserting 1 local government1 or private nonprofit facility2 7#c7 in subsection 7d7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a77;,a7 by striking local governments and inserting local governments and private nonprofit facilities2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#b7-- 7i7 by striking local governments in each place it appears and inserting local governments or private nonprofit facilities2 and 7ii7 in subparagraph 7,b7 by striking local government and inserting local government or private nonprofit facility2 and 7,c7 in paragraph 7#c7 by inserting or private nonprofit facilities after any local governments of the ,state4 7#d7 in subsection 7e7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a77;,a7 by striking and local governments and inserting 1 local governments1 and private nonprofit facilities2 and 7,b7 in paragraph 7#b7 by striking or local government in each place it appears and inserting 1 local government1 or private nonprofit facility2 7#e7 in subsection 7f7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#b7 by inserting or private nonprofit facilities located in the ,state after local governments of the ,state2 and 7,b7 in paragraph 7#c77;,a7 by inserting or private nonprofit facilities located in the ,state after local governments of a ,state2 and 7#f7 in subsection 7g7 by striking or local government in each place it appears and inserting 1 local government1 or private nonprofit facility4 #e4 ,building code implementation and enforcement set aside 7a7 ,in general ,section #bjc7;f7 of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eacc7m77 is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating paragraph 7#c7 as paragraph 7#d72 and 7#b7 by inserting after paragraph 7#b7 the following3 7#c7 ,building code implementation and enforcement set-aside ,of the amounts made available under this section for any given year1 the ,administrator may use not less than #aj percent to carry out eligible activities that further the implementation and enforcement of the latest published editions of relevant consensus-based codes1 specifications1 and standards1 including any amendments made by ,state1 local1 ,tribal1 or territorial governments to such codes1 specifications1 and standards1 that incorporate the latest hazard-resistant designs and establish minimum acceptable criteria for the design1 construction1 and maintenance of facilities and residential structures that may be eligible for assistance under this ,act4 ,in any fiscal year in which requests for assistance for such activities do not total at least #aj percent of assistance under this section1 any remaining funds may be used as additional assistance for the purposes of paragraph 7#a74 4 7b7 ,latest published editions ,section #bjc7m7 of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eacc7m77 is amended by inserting 1 7f77#c71 after subsections 7e77#a77;,b77iv74 7c7 ,conforming amendment ,section #abcd of the ,disaster ,recovery ,reform ,act of #bjah 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eacc note7 is amended by striking subsection 7d74 #f4 ,resilient infrastructure 7a7 ,use of assistance ,subsection 7g7 of section #djd of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj;c7g77 7as redesignated by section #b7 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#ab7-- 7,a7 by inserting 1 wildfire1 and ice storm after windstorm2 7,b7 by striking including replacing and inserting the following3 including-- 7,a7 replacing 2 7,c7 in subparagraph 7,a7 7as so designated7-- 7i7 by inserting 1 wildfire1 after extreme wind2 and 7ii7 by adding and after the semicolon at the end2 and 7,d7 by adding at the end the following3 7,b7 the installation of fire-resistant wires and infrastructure and the undergrounding of wires2 2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#ac7 by striking and2 and 7#c7 by striking paragraph 7#ad7 and inserting the following3 7#ad7 replacing water systems that have been burned1 caused contamination1 or are at risk from wildfire impacts with resilient1 non-combustible materials2 7#ae7 repairing1 replacing1 or retrofitting infrastructure damaged by ice storms to be resilient to the impacts of such storms2 7#af7 retrofitting or hardening electric grid infrastructure to comply with the latest published strength standards or industry best practices for resiliency1 including standards and practices relating to the strength of utility poles in high wind areas1 regardless of height2 and 7#ag7 implementing technologies to improve infrastructure monitoring and distribution for the purpose of reducing risk and avoiding future disaster impacts and1 notwithstanding other requirements related to cost-effectiveness1 to avoid any unintended consequences under this section and section #bjc4 4 7b7 ,use of assistance for earthquake hazards ,subsection 7h7 of section #djd of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj;c7h77 7as redesignated by section #b7 is amended-- 7#a7 by inserting and tsunami after earthquake each place it appears 7including in the subsection heading72 7#b7 in paragraph 7#b7 by striking and at the end2 7#c7 in paragraph 7#c7 by striking the period at the end and inserting 2 and2 and 7#d7 by adding at the end the following3 7#d7 planning1 design1 or construction of vertical evacuation structures in designated and mapped tsunami danger areas or hazard zones4 4 #g4 ,residential retrofit and resilience pilot program 7a7 ,establishment ,the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency shall carry out a residential resilience pilot program through the program established under section #bjc of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eacc7 to make available assistance to ,state and local governments for the purpose of providing grants to individuals for residential resilience retrofits4 7b7 ,amount of funds ,the ,administrator may use not more than #aj percent of the assistance made available to applicants on an annual basis under section #bjc of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eacc7 to provide assistance under this section4 7c7 ,timeline ,the ,administrator shall establish the demonstration program under this section not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act and the program shall terminate on ,september #cj1 #bjbe4 7d7 ,report ,not later than #d years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall submit to the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate a report that includes-- 7#a7 a summary of the grant awards and projects carried out under this section2 7#b7 a detailed compilation of results achieved by the grant awards and projects carried out under this section1 including the number of homes receiving retrofits1 the types and average costs of retrofits1 demographic information for participants in the program1 and estimate avoidance in disaster impacts and ,federal disaster payments as a result of the grant investments2 and 7#c7 any identified implementation challenges and recommendations for improvements to the pilot program4 7e7 ,residential resilient retrofits defined 7#a7 ,in general ,in this section1 the term residential resilient retrofits means a project that-- 7,a7 is designed to increase the resilience of an existing home or residence using mitigation measures which the administrator determines reduce damage and impacts from natural disaster hazards and risks that are most likely to occur in the area where the home is located2 and 7,b7 to the extent applicable1 are consistent with the #b most recently published editions of relevant consensus-based codes1 specifications1 and standards1 including any amendments made by ,state1 local1 tribal1 or territorial governments to such codes1 specifications1 and standards that incorporate the latest hazard-resistant designs and establish criteria for the design1 construction1 and maintenance of residential structures and facilities that may be eligible for assistance under the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et seq47 for the purpose of protecting the health1 safety1 and general welfare of the buildings' users against disasters4 7#b7 ,inclusion ,in this section1 the term residential resilient retrofits includes-- 7,a7 elevations of homes and elevations of utilities within and around structures to mitigate damages2 7,b7 floodproofing measures2 7,c7 the construction of tornado safe rooms2 7,d7 seismic retrofits2 7,e7 wildfire retrofit and mitigation measures2 7,f7 wind retrofits1 including roof replacements1 hurricane straps1 and tie-downs2 and 7,g7 any other measures that meet the requirements of paragraph 7#a71 as determined by the ,administrator4 #h4 ,buy ,america for nonemergency projects 7a7 ,in general ,for the purposes of this rulemaking1 to ensure that the ,united ,states has the productive capability to respond quickly to emergencies and natural disasters with a strong domestic industrial base being in the public interest1 the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency shall require1 as a condition of any financial assistance provided by the ,agency on a nonemergency basis after promulgation of regulations pursuant to subsection 7c7 for a construction project with a cost of at least #a1jjj1jjj1 that the steel and iron used in the project be produced in the ,united ,states4 7b7 ,waiver 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator may provide a waiver of the requirements in subsection 7a7 if the ,administrator finds-- 7,a7 that the application of such subsection would be inconsistent with the public interest1 including causing unreasonable project delays2 7,b7 that such steel and iron are not produced in the ,united ,states in sufficient and reasonably available quantities and of a satisfactory quality2 or 7,c7 that inclusion of domestic material will increase the cost of the overall project contract by more than #be percent4 7#b7 ,public input ,if the ,administrator receives a request for a waiver under this subsection1 the ,administrator shall make available to the public1 on an informal basis1 a copy of the request and information available to the ,administrator concerning the request1 and shall allow for informal public input on the request for at least #ae days prior to making a finding based on the request4 7#c7 ,publication of request ,the ,administrator shall make the request and accompanying information available by electronic means1 including on the official public website of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency4 7c7 ,rulemaking ,not later than #ah months after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,president1 acting through the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency1 shall conduct and complete a rulemaking to establish what considerations shall be used by the ,administrator to assess whether a waiver request made pursuant to subsection 7b77#a77;,a7 is in the public interest4 ,such criteria shall include both a calculation considering domestically produced steel and iron and a calculation with non-domestically produced steel and iron for construction projects which require a ,benefit-,cost ,analysis in order to qualify for financial assistance4 7d7 ,adjustment ,the amount in subsection 7a7 shall be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the ,consumer ,price ,index for ,all ,urban ,consumers published by the ,department of ,labor4 #i4 ,reimbursement of interest payments related to public assistance 7a7 ,in general ,title ,,iv of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #dca4 ,reimbursement of interest payments related to public assistance 7a7 ,in general ,for purposes of assistance under this title1 the ,president shall provide financial assistance at the applicable ,federal share to a ,state or local government1 electric cooperative1 or nonprofit organization as reimbursement for qualifying interest4 7b7 ,definitions ,in this section1 the following definitions apply3 7#a7 ,qualifying interest ,the term qualifying interest means1 with respect to a qualifying loan1 the lesser of-- 7,a7 the actual interest paid to a lender for such qualifying loan2 and 7,b7 the interest that would have been paid to a lender if such qualifying loan had an interest rate equal to the prime rate most recently published on the ,federal ,reserve ,statistical ,release on selected interest rates4 7#b7 ,qualifying loan ,the term qualifying loan means a loan-- 7,a7 obtained by a ,state or local government1 electric cooperative1 or nonprofit organization2 and 7,b7 of which not less than #ij percent of the proceeds are used to fund activities for which such ,state or local government1 electric cooperative1 or nonprofit organization receives assistance under this ,act after the date on which such loan is disbursed4 4 7b7 ,rule of applicability ,any qualifying interest 7as such term is defined in section #dca of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act1 as added by this section7 incurred by a ,state or local government1 electric cooperative1 or nonprofit organization in the #e years preceding the date of enactment of this ,act shall be treated as eligible for financial assistance for purposes of such section #dca4 #aj4 ,funding of a ,federally ,authorized ,water ,resources ,development ,project ,section #bjc of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eacc7 is further amended by adding at the end the following3 7n7 ,funding of a federally authorized water resources development project 7#a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding section #cab of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaee7 and its implementing regulations1 assistance provided under this section may be used to fund activities authorized for construction within the scope of a federally authorized water resources development project of the ,army ,corps of ,engineers if such activities are also eligible activities under this section4 7#b7 ,federal funding ,all ,federal funding provided pursuant to this section shall be applied toward the ,federal share of a federally authorized water resources development project described in paragraph 7#a74 7#c7 ,non-,federal match ,all non-,federal matching funds required pursuant to this section shall be applied toward the non-,federal share of a federally authorized water resources development project described in paragraph 7#a74 7#d7 ,total ,federal share ,funding provided pursuant to this section may not exceed the total ,federal share for a federally authorized water resources development project described in paragraph 7#a74 7#e7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this subsection may be construed to affect-- 7,a7 the cost-share requirement of a hazard mitigation measure under this section2 7,b7 the eligibility criteria for a hazard mitigation measure under this section2 7,c7 the cost share requirements of a federally authorized water resources development project described in paragraph 7#a72 and 7,d7 the responsibilities of a non-,federal interest with respect to such project1 including those related to the provision of lands1 easements1 rights-of-way1 dredge material disposal areas1 and necessary relocations4 7#f7 ,limitation ,if a federally authorized water resources development project of the ,army ,corps of ,engineers is constructed with funding provided under this subsection1 no further ,federal funding shall be provided for construction of such a project4 4 #aa4 ,,gao report to ,congress on challenges under public assistance alternative procedures 7a7 ,in general ,the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall conduct a study on the challenges to ,states and ,territories of the ,united ,states in obtaining assistance under section #dbh of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eahi;f74 7b7 ,contents ,in conducting the study described in subsection 7a71 the ,comptroller ,general shall study the challenges for assistance described in subsection 7a7 faced by the following3 7#a7 ,rural areas1 as such term is defined in section #dbc of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eahi;a74 7#b7 ,small impoverished communities1 as such term is defined in section #bjc of such ,act4 7#c7 ,other communities1 areas1 or individuals that the ,comptroller ,general determines pertinent4 7c7 ,report to ,congress ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general shall submit to ,congress a report describing the results of the study required under subsection 7a74 ,march #bd1 #bjbb,reported with an amendment1 committed to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of the ,union1 and ordered to be printed